Area Paper's article - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: May 13, 2005

RE: RE: Area Paper's article

Date: May 13, 2005

If the IHL allows the Smoke & Mirrors to continue, USM will become a House of Straw.

Date: May 13, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Class Act
"If the IHL allows the Smoke & Mirrors to continue, USM will become a House of Straw."

Please let me reword what you said in multiple-choice fashion. Multiple choice items are so much easier to grade than essays:

During the past three years, USM has become:

(a) A house of smoke and mirrors

(b) A house of straw

(c) both of these

Date: May 13, 2005

I'm going to go with d - a pile of straw, smoke, and mirrors. House implies have organization and leadership that can successfully do something with those materials.

Date: May 13, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Phoenix
"SFT is using Mader Math in comparing USM Funding to TAM. He is counting the one time income and savings created by outsourcing and lunch money (Aramark) gained for this one year. Next year, he's back to # 191. How misleading. "

Phoenix,

Wouldn't it require knowledge of and a comparison to TAMU's probable extensive other externally funding activities in addition to its dramatically greater research funding in order to make an accurate comparison even in this single year? Although allowing for the terminology "external dollars" being more inclusive than "research dollars" it seems to me that the comparison is still not of like fruit!

Date: May 13, 2005

It is ALL about Gary Stringer folks. Shelby, you need therapy if you are still obsessed with Dr. Stringer. You need to get over it. He's gone, Shelby. You made sure of that. Why is he still haunting your dreams, haunting your speeches?

BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU TREATED HIM WRONG.

Date: May 13, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Freud's apprentice
"Methinks Herr Doktor Thames needs some therapy. So much hate is not good for one. It is impossible to think clearly."

Sorry, no proctologist in Nitchampburg to help with his mental state

Date: May 13, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: foot soldier
"It is ALL about Gary Stringer folks. Shelby, you need therapy if you are still obsessed with Dr. Stringer. You need to get over it. He's gone, Shelby. You made sure of that. Why is he still haunting your dreams, haunting your speeches? BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU TREATED HIM WRONG."

It's nice to see Shelby obsessing over Gary Stringer. It shows that he knows that, in the last analysis, GS is at a top-tier university, is widely admired by his colleagues both there and everywhere, will be remembered as one of the top Donne scholars EVER, and has made enduring contributions to his field. Shelby, on the other hand, will be gone sooner or later, will always walk around under a cloud (like the character in the old comic strip), will be remembered (if at all), as an incompetent, failed administrator, and will be held accountable by history for having done unprecedented damage to what had previously been a school very much on the rise. What a difference a year makes!

Date: May 13, 2005

I see from the Chronicle that the IHL is seeking a new Commissioner under a new goverance system. Is this likely to have any positive impact on either the situation with SFT or for USM?

Date: May 13, 2005

From the ad for a new Commissioner as posted in the Chronicle on 4/22/05:

"The Board recently has approved a change in governance and as a result, the Institutional Executive Officers will report directly to the Commissioner of Higher Education, who reports to the Board of Trustees."

I think it's very positive. It seems that Dr. Crofts has been successful in changing the mindset of the board. The recent change in Commisioner Crofts' title and his agreement to stay through year-end is encouraging. Many believe it will allow him the time and credibility to see through the process he started and not leave his successor with the unpleasant task of removing a controversial university president from office. A strong academic administrator as permanent Commissioner will be good for the state.

Date: May 13, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Chronicler
" Many believe it will allow him the time and credibility to see through the process he started and not leave his successor with the unpleasant task of removing a controversial university president from office. "

Were you thinking of anyone in particular?

Date: May 13, 2005

If the two schools are that close I will trade my USM diploma for a TAMU.

The USM education I would not trade, that came from the faculty.

Shelby will never understand the difference.

Date: May 13, 2005

I think that Thames is obsessed with Dr. Stringer because he got away from him as the better man. Thames is used to crushing people completely. For one to come out a winner is unthinkable to him.

Date: May 13, 2005

It's been noted on other threads that some colleges are able to keep secrets better than others. Gary Stringer's friends deserve a giant gold star for keeping his move to TAMU such a deep dark secret that SFT essentially had to read about it in the paper. The rumour was that he (SFT) was furious that GS scored such a coup and escaped his clutches.
For one thing, it showed that SFT had absolutely no clue as to who the "stars" in his universe really are. It showed him to be a person of limited scope and limited knowledge, clever but actually quite uneducated. It made him look bad, and that's the worst sin you can commit.
I also heard, and think it's been posted here before, that TAMU gave GS a big wad of cash and sent him to London to buy manuscripts at one of the big auctions, Christies or Sotheby's. Can you see something like that happening here?

Date: May 13, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Third Witch
"Gary Stringer's friends deserve a giant gold star for keeping his move to TAMU such a deep dark secret that SFT essentially had to read about it in the paper.

I can only imagine what the expression on his face must have looked like when he first learned from the media that Gary Stringer was at Texas A&M.

Date: May 13, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Waynes World
"If I were a resident of Wayne County and had been in attendance at that meeting, I would march myself up to the IHL offices on May 19 when they are in session and demand that they take immediate action. Surely the Wayne County Alums are not gullible enough to believe this baloney. USM is not even in the top 100 research universities in America. Do you reckon those good folk in Wayne County were told USM is 12th?"

Dr. Lucas is from Stateline in Wayne County, MS. Surely there are people in Wayne County who are interested in truth about USM?

Date: May 13, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: historian
" Dr. Lucas is from Stateline in Wayne County, MS. Surely there are people in Wayne County who are interested in truth about USM?"

Your hero is from Wayne Co.? . . . hilarious.

Date: May 13, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: historian
" Dr. Lucas is from Stateline in Wayne County, MS."

That's why we call it Waynes World.

Date: May 13, 2005

From the article:

In 2002-2003, the number of employee departures was 76, and it was 71 in 2003-2004. This year, 2004-2005, the number is at 17, with a few more expected before the school year ends.

"A few more expected"? Either SFT has no idea how many are leaving, or he just figures as long as he's telling lies, go ahead and make 'em BIG lies.

Good grief.

Date: May 14, 2005

I'll go with the Big Lie interpretation myself.

RC

Date: May 14, 2005

The job market is not that good in the Burg right now, especially for office/admin type jobs. I suspect most of the people who could leave probably have. Remember, staff are not usually as mobile as faculty. I also know of a person or two who are coming up on their twenty-five year mark and/or have kids at USM and are hanging on for that reason. Otherwise, I think you'd see a lot more departures.